RIYADH: At least 68 people have been killed in the past 24 hours as fighting intensified between Houthi forces, Yemen’s internationally recognised government and its Saudi backers, military sources from both sides told AFP on Thursday.
A Yemeni government official said at least 23 government soldiers were killed in Houthi missile and drone attacks across two southwestern provinces. Houthi military sources, meanwhile, said 40 of their fighters were killed in Saudi air strikes and ground clashes.
The latest casualties come amid increasingly intense fighting since Yemen’s civil war again escalated. Saudi Arabia has also accused the Houthis of targeting the holy city of Makkah this week.
Civilian casualties have also been reported on both sides of the border. Saudi authorities said a Yemeni national living in the kingdom was killed after a drone was intercepted over Taif, east of Makkah, causing debris to fall on the area.
Authorities said falling fragments from the intercepted drone killed one person, injured two others and damaged several buildings and vehicles. It was the first reported death inside Saudi Arabia since the latest hostilities began. Footage carried by Saudi state media showed damaged shopfronts and vehicles with shattered windows.
In Yemen, Houthi-run Almasirah television reported that three children were killed in attacks it blamed on “Saudi-backed mercenaries”, its term for forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
The Houthis separately reported air strikes targeting telecommunications infrastructure in Taiz province, while one civilian was reported killed in the town of Abs.
According to the International Organisation for Migration, the escalating violence has displaced more than 100,000 people.
Shipping Routes Face Growing Risks
The Houthis now say they control Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline after making territorial gains over the past week. They also claim Saudi aircraft have conducted hundreds of strikes in response to their advance.
The group further claimed to have shot down a Saudi F-15 on Wednesday and released footage showing fighters at a burning crash site holding wreckage bearing Saudi markings.
In a televised address, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi called on Saudi Arabia to end what he described as its blockade, occupation and aggression against Yemen.
The renewed conflict is also adding pressure to an already fragile global energy situation. With Iran restricting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz since the wider regional war began, Houthi control of the Bab el-Mandeb could further threaten another strategically important passage for Gulf oil exports, including routes Saudi Arabia has used to reduce its dependence on Hormuz.
The latest phase of fighting dates back to July, when the fragile truce reached in 2022 collapsed.
